Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Keeping Rey on the DL… 44.

Spoilers! Don’t read the text below if you don’t want to know. Don’t blame me if you can’t control yourself. But most of all don’t talk about his openly on social media and ruin anything for anyone! That’s crucial!

In a lot of ways, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is about the passing of the mantle. That’s the first bit of official news we ever got: the mantle would be passed on. Speculation still continues to this day about Rey and her being an orphan. Debates rage about if she’s Han Solo’s daughter or Luke Skywalker’s daughter. It probably won’t die down until we see it stated officially. But until then, we have some hints that lead us down very specific routes in regards to the parentage of Rey and if she’s connected to the Solos or the Skywalkers (or neither).

If you recall: Rey, Han, and Finn travel to the green world (believed to be Yavin IV). Once the Falcon touches down, Rey marvels at the vista near the landing site. Concept art depicts the Falcon setting down on a wooden dock on the water outside the stronghold. There are ships and freighters landed outside the castle, above the water in the concepts. Rey is emotionally overcome by all the greenery she sees when they first reached the planet and her amazement continues. The view is breathtaking.

This continues a little further. While Chewie is still on the ship shutting her down with Finn, Han talks to Rey in private and he passes on one of, if not his most, personal gun to her for protection in Maz’s stronghold. This is where Rey gets her DL-44, the blaster Han Solo made famous.

After Rey and her friend get into Maz’s stronghold, Rey gets into a bar fight. Finn is little help in dealing with the rapscallions. (Finn does try and stick up for Rey, though.) However, Chewbacca helps sort out the problem, as it turns out a Wookiee at your side is a little better than an ex-Stormtrooper for barfights.

A short time after this encounter, Rey enjoys a few drinks, and gets tipsy on the pirate ale. It sounds like a good time! While tipsy, Rey thanks Finn for sticking up for her in the strife. Finn’s attempt at chivalry doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated by Rey.

So there you have it: Rey inherits Han Solo’s gun in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

A quick side note: When people ask me who I think Rey’s father is, I still bet on the Solo side of things. She is an orphan. She coincidentally steals the Falcon. She inherits Han Solo’s blaster. She inherits Han Solo’s ship. She inherits Han Solo’s best friend and co-pilot, Chewbacca. She deals with a bar fight with Chewbacca at her side. She drinks. She’s “solo” and solitary when we meet her. But she also is going to be Luke’s Skywalker’s next pupil, apparently probably thanks to a genetic gift passed onto her via her mother’s side (in my opinion). If I were to place a bet, I would say she’s Han and Leia’s daughter.